


mornings after are arbitrary in space

by harpers_mirror (SapphireBryony)



Category: Wolf 359 (Radio)
Genre: F/M, pure fluff, these two need more snuggles in general so they might as well get them from each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-28
Updated: 2016-02-28
Packaged: 2018-05-23 21:31:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6130723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphireBryony/pseuds/harpers_mirror
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even if time is pretty meaningless in space, there still has to be a morning after. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing.</p><p>(epilogue to "i'll be here to hold your hand")</p>
            </blockquote>





	mornings after are arbitrary in space

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [i'll be here to hold your hand](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6115222) by [badskeletonpuns](https://archiveofourown.org/users/badskeletonpuns/pseuds/badskeletonpuns). 



I woke up the next morning and was mildly surprised to find Minkowski still tucked up against me, her head resting on my shoulder and her braced arm thrown across my front. She was still asleep which was kind of a relief for a couple of reasons.  
  
For one thing (the altruistic noble good person reason), she looked like she needed it - neither of us had really caught up on all sleep we'd lost since Christmas and it showed.  
  
The second, considerably more self-serving reason, was that it was really enjoyable to just bask in the physical presence of another person - and I was pretty sure that as soon as Minkowski woke up, she'd get all flustered and bolt from her own quarters, or give me the boot.  
  
It would likely be all kinds of awkward and I wanted to put it off as long as possible.  
  
Firmly pushing away the niggling thought that my motivations might be _slightly_ creepy, I decided to just enjoy this warm, comfortable moment for as long as it lasted. This was the safest I'd felt since I'd filed a change of address form that included IAU coordinates.  
  
I’d actually managed to drift part way back to sleep when I felt Minkowski stir against me. I felt her stiffen as she woke up enough to realize she wasn’t alone and braced myself for her to toss me out on my butt.

“Eiffel?” she asked, voice still thick with sleep.

“Yeah, Sleeping Beauty, it’s just me.”

 _"Eiffel_...” This time my name came with a hint of warning.

“Sorry, Commander. I meant, ‘Yes sir, Commander Minkowski, sir.’”

I felt her amused huff of breath on my neck and relaxed for the moment. After a sleepy moment, she spoke again.

"Thanks, Eiffel. For - for staying, I mean."  
  
"Commander, believe me when I say that it was my pleasure."  
  
She smacked me and, well, fair enough. I honestly hadn't expected anything less. That didn't stop me from putting on my best wounded puppy face and pouting at her. I got an eye-roll in response but she stayed curled against my side, so I still counted it as a win.

“How’s the wrist feeling this morning?”

She lifted her right arm from where it had been resting on my chest, twisted it experimentally, and winced.

“That good, huh?” I asked, gently pushing her arm back down and covering her hand with mine.

“Eh, it’s better than it was. I can probably take the brace off tomorrow or so.”

Damn it, were we going to have deal with this again? Like an Olympic sport, I _swear._ “I don’t know - “

She cut me off, sounding annoyed, and pulled away from me. “Eiffel, just because you were right once doesn’t mean you need to keep fluttering around me. I’m not going to break without you wrapping me in cotton wool.”

Well crap. I thought I’d made some progress last night on the whole “I am invincible and no one will ever see me fall” complex she has going but I guess not. Good intentions, pavement, yadda yadda. And now she was pissed. Perfect.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, waiting for her to tell me to leave, to get out of her bed and back into the comms room where I belonged.

After a moment, Minkowski propped herself up on one elbow looking down at me and sighed, settling in against me once more. "Sorry about that, Eiffel. I shouldn't...I didn’t mean to snap at you. I know you’re just looking out for me, and god knows I need...well, thanks. Again. Seriously. This is the most sleep I've gotten in quite a while." 

She paused but looked like she wanted to say more. Tentatively, I laid my hand on top of hers again. Minkowski didn't pull away, so yay, progress! After a moment, she spoke again. "Y'know how I said before that I wake up every morning wondering if today is the day it all falls apart?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Just now? I didn't."  
  
"Oh." I was genuinely kind of lost for words, but managed to crack, "Because you were busy thinking 'Oh god oh god what did I do?'" Even as I said it I could hear the tension dragging the joke down to the realm of the uncomfortably truthful.  
  
Minkowski smiled crookedly and some of the tension left my body. "Something like that, Eiffel. But waking up with you is still better than a mutiny."  
  
I laughed, way more at ease with her now. "Ooh, I'll have to remember that one. 'Hello folks, the name's Doug Eiffel and four out of five space station commanders rate sex with me as 'better than a mutiny.'"  
  
Raising an eyebrow with a level of skepticism that would have made Mr. Spock proud, she replied, "Uh huh. Exactly _who_ are these other space station commanders agreeing with me? And - more importantly - what happened with the one who _didn't?"_  
  
I wrinkled my nose and flapped a dismissive hand at her. "Details, details. You really think it always comes down to one lone jerk dentist who just really hates gum? If it's good enough for the Doublemint twins, it's good enough for me."  
  
"Yet another ringing endorsement there, Eiffel."  
  
"I know, right?" I grinned up at her and, just for a moment, I saw the exasperation slip away. She looked...happy. And in a way I hadn't seen her look too many times, especially not since everything started to fall apart. Side quest complete!  
  
She leaned down and kissed me, and _wow_ could I get used to this sort of morning routine. Sliding my hands into her hair, I briefly deepened the kiss, then pulled away, trailing my lips down her throat.

Hearing her sigh, I smiled. With my lips still brushing her skin, I murmured, “Alright Commander. Ready to face the universe?”

Pressing one last kiss to her neck, letting myself savor it because god only knew if I’d ever get to do it again, I felt her swallow.

“Ready when you are, Doug,” she replied. “Ready when you are.”


End file.
